It’s a Wrap!!

After our excellent adventure through Cape York, it felt like we were just tidying up loose ends. There were just a couple more on our ‘to-do’ list – The Daintree for Ken and Mossman for me.

The Daintree was just a day trip from our caravan park at Endeavour Falls and we got away early. The road was tarred all the way past Wajul Wajul and then what’s historically known as the Bloomfield Track kicked in. A good dirt road, but a very challenging climb up onto the plateau with infrequent roadworks adding a bit of spice to our journey. We weren’t sure how far south we’d go and got as far as Cape Tribulation.

Tourists from both north and south make a beeline for this beach, but once again, look but don’t go in. It would be another 1000klms south before ocean swimming could even be contemplated.

The Daintree put on a rainforest masterclass. From mangroves on the sands to pebbled creeks bending back into impenetrable, fifty shades of green. There was still 30klms to go before we reached the Daintree River, and with an average speed of around 40klms per hour, we decided to backtrack and come in from the south another day. A lot of the coastline here can’t be reached, being viewed only in glimpses or the occasional lookout. There are a couple of great beaches just outside the national park. Just past Ayton and down Weary Bay Road will find you on another delightful beach.

Our last day at Endeavour Falls was spent cleaning out, washing and generally tidying up. It was time to return to ‘civilization’. My anti-traction sensors were on life support. Go around a corner at any speed and the brakes would kick in and stay on till they were good and ready, which of course led to a couple of alarming situations. A mechanic in Cooktown had definitely identified them as the problem, so parts were ordered from Townsville, but it was not until Townsville that they were swapped out. So, it was slow and steady on my climb up to to Rifle Range Rest Area, just outside Mount Malloy for a couple of nights, before dropping back down to the coast to Mossman.

Mossman is home to a sugar can mill, closed a couple of years ago. A major flood and underinsured spelled the end after over a century of production. Ken had gone on to Port Douglas, while I managed a nice free camp just outside the mill gates. More like ‘faux’ gates, actually. Ease of access and curiosity got the better of me and I spent best part of an hour, wandering in and around this sprawling abandoned complex.

Even though the mill had been shuttered, some lights were still left on. Every know and then, a generator would kick in and break the eerie silence and encroaching gloom. It had been nearly two months since I saw the inside of a barber shop. There was not a single hair salon anywhere on the Cape York Peninsula. A hairdresser with a pilot’s license would make a motza. Whilst getting said hair cut, I asked about possible free camps in the area. The wet season was almost upon us and the humidity was a bitch. Luckily, I was pointed towards a ‘secret’ local’s swimming hole with the possibility of an overnight park.

Backed up behind a convenient causeway, this freshwater, croc free refuge was just what I was looking for. Despite the ‘No Camping Beyond This Point’ sign, I tucked myself into an arguable corner, taking on the persona of a day visitor and hoping no-one would notice.

I sat and lounged in the cool water throughout the day and into the evening, interrupted only by the occasional local with dog or children in tow. This was to be my last ‘official’ night alone with nature. The next morning after a couple of early morning dips, It was time to rejoin my erstwhile friend in Cairns to spend a couple of days content with just sight-seeing and re-adjusting to the creature comforts. The local Council had decided that something was needed to cool off the locals sans crocs, and invested in a swimming pool the size of a small lake, complete with lifeguards.

And that, my friends and fellow travellers, is where this particular journey ends. What an intense three months. I hope you got a taste of what was on the menu. Hope you had a great Xmas. Talk soon!